The study, published on November 29 in the open access journal Environmental Health, reveals that exposure to high levels of POPs, a family of toxic chemicals that includes polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the insecticide DDT, is associated with a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a population of fishermen and their wives, with high consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea.

POPs are by-products of industrial and agricultural processes and are widespread in the environment. In the study, Lars Rylander and colleagues from the University of Lund, Sweden, studied the incidence of type 2 diabetes in 196 fishermen and 184 fishermen's wives, and analysed levels in their blood of the POP residue CB-153, and DDE, the main by-product of DDT. Levels of both residues reflect exposure to POPs.

Results show that 6% of men and 5% of women who took part in the study have diabetes. Those that were found to have type 2 diabetes have significantly higher blood levels of both CB-153 and DDE than non-diabetics in the group of fisherman and fisherman's wives, which suggests high exposure to POPs. A statistical analysis of the results shows that exposure to CB-153 and DDE is significantly associated with a high prevalence of diabetes.

Notes to Editors:

The full study entitled “A Cross-sectional study of the association between persistent organochlorine pollutants and diabetes,” by Lars Rylander, Anna Rignell-Hydbom and Lars Hagmar, is available from the journal Environmental Health website at http://www.ehjournal.net/

For further information about the study contact Dr. Lars Hagmar by email at lars.hagmar@med.lu.se or by phone at +46702881789